The present invention is directed to a wireless communication device having a display and associated holographic overlay.
Wireless communication devices are becoming more popular in today""s society. One reason for their increased popularity is their small size which allows a user to easily carry the device and use it in environments that were previously unavailable or inconvenient. The smaller device sizes introduce new challenges for the device manufacturers and service providers that were previously not encountered.
The size of the devices is now such that the name of the manufacturer or service provider is difficult to display or brand on the device. A common means of branding is to place the name on the face of the device in a conspicuous location such that it is seen by the user. However, with the decreasing device sizes, there is less usable space for placing the name. Therefore, new designs and locations are needed for clearly branding the phone without detracting from the functionality.
The smaller wireless communication devices are also now being used in crowded environments such as airports, restaurants, and the like. It is currently difficult to find an environment and location in which someone is not using a wireless communication device. Users often require privacy and security when using the devices in these crowded environments because confidential and sensitive information may appear on the display screen. The user may not want a person sitting beside them to peer over at the display screen and obtain this information. It would be advantageous for the display screen on the device to be seen by the user, yet prevent an unintended neighbor from viewing the display contents.
The present invention includes a holographic overlay positioned proximate a display screen of a wireless communication device. The holographic overlay is positioned such that it has a first appearance when viewed at a first angle, and a second appearance when the display screen is viewed at a second angle. The holographic overlay may be substantially transparent at the first angle such that display characters appearing on the display screen are visible. When viewed at the second angle, the holographic overlay may substantially obscure the display characters.
The holographic overlay may provide previously unavailable surface area on the wireless communication device for advertising and other branding materials. The holographic overlay may also prevent an unintended viewer from seeing characters displayed on the display screen.